The standard of the World Association for Dragons Everywhere is recognized throughout the globe - as well it should be. As with numerous other Weyr banners, the original WAFDE design harkened back to heraldic times, with a silver Dragon passant on a blue roundel sea. It has recently been modified to fit the age. An argent Dragon now dances across watery blues. Catching the daily breezes at High Wing Tor and other Dragon Estates, the flag may be flown by all members of WAFDE in good standing.

HIGH WING TOR

In the rugged environs of Wales, at the edge of the Irish Sea, High Wing Tor's standard flies in celebration of Draconian times past and present. With a nod to the national colours of Cymru, Y Ddraig Goch (the Red Dragon) stands vibrant on an arrow of Tudor green backed by a field of argent and fiery Ddraig red. Sable letters, H-W-T, highlight the arrow's points. A note to the curious: It is rumoured that Ka, long-time matriarch of the Tor's Welsh Red Dragons, served as model for the flag's Dragon. She denies this vehemently, insisting she cuts a far more comely figure. The flag is flown daily at High Wing Tor.

UNECESCO

The banner for the United Nations Extraordinary Creature Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNECESCO) is much as one would expect. On a field of UN blue, one finds the emblem of the United Nations surrounded by four of the extraordinary beings in their purview: Gryph, Dragon, Unicorn, and Phoenix. Dragons like to point out that, were the beings to scale, they would far outsize the others. It is only out of respect for symmetry that they haven't filed an official protest. The flag is flown at UNECESCO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and at all UNECESCO-sponsored events.

DRAGON'S NEST

As any serious Dracophile knows, Vermont is not all covered bridges and picture-postcard villages. It is also home to Dragons. Lots of Dragons. Situated within sight of Glastenbury Mountain in the rolling Green Mountains, Dragon's Nest is one of the world's smallest and newest Weyrs (and is frequently lumped together with Fireback Ridge in Dragon gazetteers). The relative youth of its members makes them a flashy, exuberant lot. As elder Dragons will note, a little of them goes a long way. The ensign of Dragon's Nest is a cloth tribute to the MacKENZIE clan so prominent in its history. It was a MacKENZIE who lobbied relentlessly for the liberal - virtually non-existent - Dragon regulations on Vermont's books today, statutes which make it a true pleasure to be a Green Mountain Dragon. On a gold field a brace of green Dragons rampant bracket the clan crest perched atop a sable Scottish thistle. Dragons relish the irony in the motto: Luceo Non Uro: I shine, not burn. They will gleefully tell you that they can do both.

BOON & SYDNEY CARDEW

Though all Dragons have a flair for flags, some have more flair than others. The personal standard of Boon and Sydney Cardew was created by Boon, herself. The brilliant green field displays her fondness for the lush greens of her native Welsh countryside. The blue bands honor sky, sea, and Boon's own shimmering scales. Boon's likeness front and centre proves, yet again, that Dragons seldom suffer from low self-esteem.

AMBAR WEYR

The Dragons of the Ambar Weyr, in Uttar Anchal at the base of the Himalayas, felt no compunction about borrowing the image of the Taj Mahal for their banner. "We're an all-Indian Weyr, here," they say. "Besides, the Taj is recognizable around the globe." Add to that two Dragons balancing a Buddhist wheel while soaring over a radiant sun and, voila!

CHILKO LAKE WEYR

In British Columbia, the trees and Dragons grow tall and green. The flag of the Chilko Lake Weyr celebrates both, as well as the brilliant night skies in which one can espy Draco in all his stellar magnificence. The Dragons of Chilko Lake are often found enjoying the chill, clear waters and warding against human efforts to lumber the neighbouring forests. Chilko Lake Weyr frequently serves as the base for Dragon happenings in the Pacific Northwest, welcoming Dragons Enchantments from Oregon to Prince William Sound. Because of their proximity to the great forests, all fire-breathing regulations are strictly enforced on such occasions; ignorance of such rules is never accepted as an excuse.

OGONI SKALA WEYR

The Dragons of Ogoni Skala Weyr north of the Black Sea are full of so much bluster that it's said you can hear their scales rattle half-way to Kiev. Likewise, they believe their flag should be recognizable from just as great a distance. To this end, they opted for a boldly simple fanion with basic shapes and strong colours. A black Wyvern tail dancing on a red roundel is set above a fesse of brilliant yellow. All this emblazoned on a field of snow white. Just like a Dragon in a Russian winter, they will tell you with a snort and a chortle.

GASPE WEYR

With the exception of actual sea serpents, the Dragons of Canada's Maritime Provinces are some of the best swimmers out there, which speaks volumes for their aquatic prowess. The Dragons of New Brunswick delight in their proximity to the sea and those of the Gaspe Weyr chose to surround themselves with it on their flag as well as in life. In the midst of blue triangles - or piles - is an argent lozenge topped with a sea-blue roundel and an alert red dragon.

WEYR OF LONG QING ZHU

In the wilds of Manchuria the Dragons still tell stories of the days when Pu Yi, the Lord of Ten Thousand Years, wandered among the dynastic Enchantments. Troubled though those years were, they were considered by some the last blush of opulence in a rapidly changing world. With a nod to such nostalgic times, the Weyr of Long Qing Zhu - or the Dragon with the Black Pearl - chose striking, imperial colours for its banner. A sable Dragon - with a black pearl clasped in his paw - races across a lozenge of bright Chinese red on a field of Emperor's gold. Simple yet elegant.

WILLAPA HILLS

South of Seattle in the lush Pacific Northwest is a flourishing Weyr, Willapa Hills. Despite the persistent rain which seems to wear on fragile human nerves, the Willapa Weyr is positively chipper to the point of impishness. One-time participants of the Dragonhill program in Oregon, the Dragons of Willapa Hills are known for their rambunctious ways, and their standard displays this with delight. On a three-green background soars a madcap black Dragon. One can only imagine in what mischievous prank he is about to partake. The Weyr lying beneath this banner is regularly filled with Dragonish laughter. Drop-in visitors are always welcome.

HARURU WEYR

Contrary to popular belief, not all the Dragons of New Zealand are CGI creations in Peter Jackson films. In the misty forests and crystal waters of South Island's Fjordland, the Dragons of Haruru Weyr frolic. Their raucous song echoes like thunder through the mountains of the Southern Alps. The Weyr's flag is an elegant bi-coloured display. On a field of New Zealand blue sits a white winged Dragon gazing at a five-star constellation known among the Southern Enchantments as Drac's Claw.

KANG RINPOCHE WEYR

The remote altitudes and valleys of the Himalayas are alive with all creatures wild and magickal, including a plenitude of Dragons. To this day, there are no less than eight Weyrs in what is known as the Himalayan Quad. Oldest of these is the rainbow Weyr of Kang Rinpoche, nestled in the shade of Mount Kailash. The Dragons of the Weyr thrive on the ley-line energy which thrums through the land and, in return, they protect the sacred peak from those humans who would climb her without understanding her. The Kang Rinpoche flag celebrates spirit, energy, and global diversity with a spectrum of bands topped by a dancing black Dragon.

CHEVIOT BEAL

North of Newcastle and south of Hadrian's Wall, Bowmont Water flows past Hownam Law. There, in the Cheviot Hills is a quiet Weyr known as Cheviot Beal. Dating back to an age when Stonehenge was fresh cut and clean set, the Dragons of Cheviot Beal prefer a retiring life. This has been particularly true since the Industrial Revolution made a smog-laden mess of England's skies. By Draconian standards, the Weyr's flag is much like its inhabitants: positively subtle. Golden chevrons cross upon an umber field; two rampant silver Dragons face off in the foreground. All is muted and tranquil and properly British, if such can be said of anything Dragon.

WEYR RAMBUT KUDA

On a relatively small volcanic island in the Java Sea is Weyr Rambut Kuda, named after the dramatic manes sported by the Weyr's inhabitants. The Dragons of Rambut Kuda are sinuous creatures, lean like their traditional Indonesian kin, but with only three toes on their feet, like the Japanese Dragons to the north. Some Crypto-herpetologists take the position that the Rambut Kuda's residents are a hybrid, the offspring of a long-ago Indonesian-Japanese misalliance. For their part, the Dragons aren't saying. The flag is green as the island's tropical foliage, with a band of sea blue and two stylized serpentine Dragons.